Relationship between grit and well-being among PAs redeployed to other medical specialties

Abstract

AAPA 2022 POSTER SESSION ABSTRACTS PURPOSEDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, more than 10,000 physician associates/assistants (PAs), about 7% of the PA population, were redeployed to EDs, ICUs, and other medical specialties. Because of increased patient volume, healthcare workers experienced greater degrees of stress than the general population. A cross-sectional study found a positive correlation between resilience and one's wellbeing. Another found that gritty individuals are less vulnerable to the effects of stressful events. This exploratory study examined whether a relationship exists between grit (defi ned as perseverance and passion for goals) and well-being (defi ned as overall happiness) in PAs redeployed during the peak of the pandemic. METHODSThis study was approved by the Wagner College institutional review board. An a priori power analysis (G*Power 3.1.9.7) revealed a minimum sample size of 136 respondents at 0.8 power and 0.05 alpha. Inclusion criteria were certifi ed PAs who fi nish the survey; redeployed from their original specialty into EDs, ICUs, COVID-medical units from March 2020 to December 2020; and worked there for more than 2 weeks. They were recruited by email and social media platforms to answer an electronic survey of 17 demographic items, 12 grit items (validated Duckworth Grit Scale, measures interest consistency